China has withdrawn troops by at least a kilometer in the tense Galwan river valley (Representational)
New Delhi:
China has withdrawn troops by 2 km in contested parts of Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) including Hot Springs, sources said today on the disengagement of troops on both sides after the June 15 clash.
Chinese withdrawal of troops at Hot Springs, or Patrol Point 15, will be completed by today and in Gogra (Patrol Point 17A) by tomorrow, sources said on two contested points near the LAC.
There is no information on Pangong.
China has withdrawn troops by at least a kilometer in the tense Galwan river valley where 20 soldiers were killed in action in the deadly brawl with Chinese troops on June 15. Indian soldiers have also pulled back and a buffer zone has been created between the troops of both sides.
The Chinese military has dismantled tents and structures near the site of the clash and vehicles have been seen withdrawing from the region.
The developments took place after the two sides agreed to “completely disengage” from the border flashpoint and ensure “a phased and stepwise de-escalation in the India-China border areas,” the foreign ministry said on Monday.
On Sunday, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke on the phone for two hours. According to an official statement, the two agreed that “it was necessary to ensure at the earliest complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquility”.
“They reaffirmed that both sides should strictly respect and observe the line of actual control and should not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo and work together to avoid any incident in the future that could disturb peace and tranquility in border areas,” said the government statement. But this part was not included in Beijing’s official note on the conversation.
China said front-line troops are taking “effective measures” and making “progress” to disengage and ease the tensions in the Galwan Valley. “China and India have made progress coming up with effective measures for frontline troops to disengage and de-escalate the border situation at the third commander-level talks between the two militaries on June 30,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said.
